TheDirtman

I would start by checking the for sale sections on the forums there are at least 6 forums out there I know of that are for JK's or have a JK section. I see dana 30 axles all the time from people who swap out to D44's or larger. You may also check great lakes 4x4 as there are always tons of axles on there in your area. Just make sure you get the proper width and bolt pattern.

towel33

Sold mine for $400, and it took me a year to to it. It's not a very desirable axle. Still can't get rid of my rear.

Invest2m4

Well, I live 15 minutes outside of Detroit and have had my almost new front D30 for sale since January. It was sleeved and gusseted and in mint condition off a 2013 JK with a handful of miles on it.

I had it listed on every forum. Finally tossed it on CL and sold it to a guy two weeks ago for $700. So, not $600, but mine was like new, sleeved and gusseted. Stronger than the $2k axle you just bought and it would have bolted right up. I even offered in my listing to swap the axle for the buyer.

Crashauto

damn that is cheap. I know it would be smart since i don't know too much about wheeling or these axles to just stick to the original but in hindsight, i will be pissed next year when i wish i would have installed the d44. I think i will stick to the d44 and just keep reading forums and asking total newb questions. I appreciate all the feedback

Invest2m4

I'm pulling my Jeep apart at the start of Nov and will have switches and wiring for the e-locker for sale. I had a Sport and bought Rubi axles. A friend of mine is an electrical engineer in the auto industry and put together all the wiring. Also have the factory plugs, so it connects to the plugs on the axle. It would basically be plug and play to get your locker working. PM me if interested.

Also, happy to lend a hand if you need help getting the axle on. Wouldn't take but a couple hours. You can drive it, we'd just leave the front driveshaft off until you get the rear regeared. I think you could technically leave it on (I forget...), but no sense in risking shifting into 4 wheel...

Grant09

I might be in the minority here, but I would have done what you did if I had the money. Even if I wasn't wheeling anything that really needed a d44 (and I haven't... I have a stock d30) if that axle were damaged and needed to be replaced I'd go ahead and upgrade to a d44 just because in the end it'll either (hopefully) be an added incentive when you're trying to sell it one day or you'll end up at a point where you'll look back and wish you had done it when you were replacing the axle anyway. Again, this assumes you can afford the upgrade without your family being without electricity or food.

merkaba

Where do i find people like you in NH I wish someone around here was nice enough to offer help like that. You are a good dude!

Matthewd5

I went the pro rock route and I couldn't be happier

I don't think welding on gussets and such will get you close to the strength of the pro rock

But it doesn't sound like the OP really needs that much strength

Btw, I'm just over in southern Maine, where in New Hampshire?

I'd be more then happy to show you the pro rock and see what you have

Matthew

merkaba

That's cool that you live in Maine. I love southern, ME. We go to the york/ogunquit area a lot for weekend trips away. I live in the Newfound Lake area. My mom lives down in Exeter though, so I do go that way sometime. I have a 2010 JKU Sahara that is completely stock right now. I'm still planning my overall build. I have a good idea of what i want, just trying to figure out the best way to go about it. You can get a decent idea from my sig what I'm looking to do. Unfortunately I don't have the tools or knowledge to build it up. So it's a lot more expensive for me having to pay a shop. Would love to have someone local willing to help me build some axles and stuff so I could learn more.

nthinuf

You should also try and verify that none of the mounts/arms are bent/twisted/cracked.

As noted above, the housing on your new d44 is basically the same as the d30. Wouldn't be a bad idea to read as many housing upgrade threads as you can find so you can start forming an opinion on whether you want to add any reinforcement to it.